State Senator Bill Lieske (R-Lonsdale) released the following statement on the passage of Democrats’ first abortion bill, House File 1, by the Senate at 3 a.m. Saturday:  

“Today is a dark day. While it may have been pitched as a codification of Roe, the Democrats’ first abortion bill is shockingly extreme. It allows abortions for any reason, with no restrictions or safety measures for women and babies. It is massively out of step with what most Minnesotans were expecting.”

The bill was passed on party lines, 34-33. Senate Republicans offered a number of critical amendments—all of which were struck down on party-line votes, and many of which were not deemed worthy of discussion by the majority party. Key amendments that were offered include:

• Ban on third-trimester abortions 
• Prohibition of violent Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) abortions 
• Language that would have excluded sterilization from the umbrella of “reproductive rights” 
• Requirement of parental notification 
• Language that would have prevented the sterilization of minors  
• Prohibition of abortions due to down syndrome